The Wanting Comes in Waves
by kingandlionheart
Summary: Rogue has left and Gambit forms a friendship.
1. Un

When she first saw them she had no idea what to think. Who were these people and why had they backed her into an alley? Whatever the reason, it was her job to make them regret it. She raised her arms slowing as her body lifted off the ground. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, the transformation was complete. Her once ocean blue hues were gone, black expansed from her pupil, covering her irises and leaking its way across her sclera. She smirked, they were her's now.

She opened her mouth to speak, a primal undertone radiated from her voice box. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Eris, we want to help you! Please listen to reason while you still can."

Now this, _this_ made her laugh. "You think you can stop me?" she rumbled. "A little man in a wheelchair? Don't insult me."

A caveman in yellow spandex stepped frowning and crouched, obviously in defense of the little man. "If anyone can stop ya, girlie, it's Xavier. And if he won't, I will!"

Her neck swung quickly and she zipped down to hover in front of the wooly man's face. A venomous smirk spread across the girl's full lips. "Oh really? You think you and your protruding butter knives can stop me? Foolish people! You cannot hurt what you cannot see!"

As she said this, complete darkness spread across the alley. They could no longer see her. She seized the opportunity and sent blasts of darkness to all of them, knocking them down and winding them.

"I dunno about y' gens, but Gambit tired of dis fille!"

Suddenly a small rectangle of red light hit her straight in the chest, it sent her reeling and she coughed, blood condensed in the corner of her mouth from where she bit her lip on impact. She surged forward through the air and located the source of the blast. She tackled the man, and looked at his face through the blackness. Red orbs stared back at her.

"May Gambit help y', mon chère?" She could see his smirk and it enraged her.

"Who do you think you are?" She bellowed. Tendrils of darkness emerged from her aura and she tangled them around his neck. "Such insolence deserves a punishment!"

"Such big words for such a' le'enfant."

She howled as arms circled around her waist from behind. She lurched and protested against the arms, but they were like steel. They _were _steel.

"That's it, Piotr, hold on to her!" an encouraging voice yelled from the other side of the alley.

"I have her," A deep Russian tone sounded back. "But she's fighting hard!"

She thrashed and grunted as she lifted and propelled various items at him. Empty beer bottles collided and shattered against his head and back. Scraps of metal banged and bent around his legs. Nothing she sent toward him affected him, so she unwrapped the darkness from Red Eye's throat and circled them around him instead. She willed it to squeeze more and more around his windpipe but it didn't move, his shiny exterior would not yield under the tendrils.

"Eris!" The weak man again called to her, but this time his voice reverberated through her cerebral.

"My name is not Eris!" She screeched in humiliating fury as tears of anger pored from her eyes. "Don't call me that awful name!"

_Please, Eris. Please let me help you. _And then everything went black, but it wasn't her doing. Her visioned blurred and she lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>"Mon dieu, Professor. What was dat?"<p>

"That, Gambit, was Eris Everly. And that was an example of her awesome power."

"But, like, what is her power?" asked Kitty nervously. She was present at the confrontation and the darkness had shook her to the core.

He glanced at all of his X-Men. They were seated in the living room of the mansion, scattered on various pieces of furniture.

"Her powers are still a bit of mystery to me, but from what my source told me and from what we witnessed, I gather that she can manipulate darkness and make it a tangible thing. She's also an advanced telekinetic."

Remy sighed. "So dat was what was around my neck? Darkness?"

Xavier nodded.

* * *

><p>She woke up and blinked once before vaulting upwards. When the pain seared across her head she placed the heels of her palms to her face and kneaded her eyes. What had happened to her? Why did she feel completely depleted?<p>

"Ah!" a deep yet welcoming voice greeted her. "Our visitor is awake. How are you feeling?"

She shot daggers at him and snarled. "Where am I? What have you done to me?"

He smiled back at her. "You're in the infirmary of the X-Mansion, home to Professor Charles Xavier and the X-Men. As for what was done to you; nothing. You fainted when Charles connected with you telepathically."

She eyed him incredulously. "What are the X-Men?"

"We are a team of mutants dedicated to the cause of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants."

She chuckled. "Of course. Look, I feel fine now. Can I leave?"

"So soon? I'm afraid not, Miss Everly. Professor Xavier wanted to speak with you when you woke up and you still have not fully recuperated."

Grimacing at the sound of her former surname, she shot back at him, "You can't keep me here against my will!"

"That was not our intention. Let me retrieve the Professor." With that, the blue man turned on his heel and headed toward the door.

* * *

><p>Remy was curious.<p>

He hadn't been interested in anything, nothing in six months had piqued his interest since she left. Her absence had left a void in him. When women he courted used to explain to him the vast opening they would feel in their chest after he left, he never believed them. He knew that heartache was a term coined to describe being slighted by a lover, but he didn't believe that heartache was an actual feeling, an actual ailment. Now he knew better. He'd wake up every morning and go to sleep every night with the same gaping expanse in his chest. It halfway shocked him that it wasn't visible to the human eye, that anyone who looked at him didn't witness the empty room where his heart used to beat. Necessity woke him up every morning now.

But now he was curious.

He ran into Beast as he rounded the corner to the sickroom. "Beastie, mon ami. How is our little visitor?"

He sighed. "Very fiery. She just woke up and is already trying to leave. I'm going to retrieve the Professor before she jumps ship."

Gambit smirked and patted Beast on the shoulder. "How 'bout Gambit pay her a little visit? Maybe he can convince her to stay a little while, non?"

Hank chuckled. "You powers of persuasion are exquisite, my friend, but I think you may have trouble with this one."

"We shall see." He winked at Beast before he entered the room.

* * *

><p>Her eyes bolted to the door as soon as it clicked close. "You another doctor?"<p>

Remy chuckled. "Non, petit. Gambit no doctor, he just come to pay you a visit."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

He crossed the room and seated himself on the bed beside her. "To be honest, petit, Gambit was real curious 'bout your powers. They interesting, non?"

She shifted in the bed and continued to eye him, wariness spread across her face. She didn't think that the X-Men would hurt her; she'd heard of them from her various connections and the motley crew seemed to exhaust the patience of many, yet their do-gooded reputation put a bad taste in her mouth. She in no way felt comfortable here. Plus, this man unnerved her. He seemed so casual given that less than twelve hours ago she had him by the throat, literally. She decided to stay collected.

"They come in use the from time to time. What about you, weren't you the one who shocked me?"

He smirked at me. "Dat be me. Sorry about that, by the way, petit."

She shook her head. "You certainly are a weird bunch. I attack most of you and you still act cheery with me." She paused and focused her attention on his face. "Hold on! Red eyes!"

Gambit pointed at his eyes and tilted his head to the side. "I assume y' talkin 'bout me, petit?"

"You're Gambit!"

His eyes narrowed in confusion. "How you know me?"

This time, she was the one smirking. "I must say, your reputation proceeds you. You used to be the best thief there was."

Gambit frowned. "What's dis 'used to be'?"

She tilted her head back with a chuckle. "I'm sorry to say, but you've been replaced."

Gambit couldn't help but betray his curiosity. Used to be best thief there was? That meant someone had already overstepped his reputation, and he'd only been out of the business a couple of years. "Replaced by who?"

"Me," she replied simply, her icy blues shining. "It's easy to sneak in and out of places when you create a shade only you can see through. I said my powers came in use, remember?"

* * *

><p>"Professor!" Scott called as he ran down the hallway to meet the man before he descended to the infirmary. "Professor, I need to speak with you!"<p>

The older man spun his wheelchair around and smiled up at Scott. "Yes, Cyclops?"

"I wanted to speak with you about Eris, before, y'know, you invite her to join our team."

"Proceed, then."

He sighed and met Xavier's eyes, a steady calmness radiated from his gaze from years of leading his team. "I don't know if we can trust her, Professor. She seemed hellbent on hurting one of us last night."

"Scott, you cannot hold that against her. We all react differently when frightened. If I remember correctly, we had the same conversation about Gambit, and he's seemed to assimilate just fine."

Scott scowled. "Well it wasn't all flowers and sunshine, Professor. We don't have Rogue anymore because of him."

"Now Scott," the Professor's voice hardened, "Rogue had many reasons for leaving that none of us know about, we cannot simply blame Gambit for her departure because of their past."

Scott snorted, "Yeah, but it sure is convenient."

The Professor gave his student a patient smile and a reassuring pat on the forearm as he wheeled around and pressed the southward facing arrow on the elevator's interface. "I know you're just being cautious, Scott, but let's take things slow. We know nothing about Miss Everly yet."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Scott grumbled as he turned on his heel and headed down the hallway.

* * *

><p><em>Knock knock. <em>The voice reverberated in her head, and she glanced around the room to find the source of the voice. When seeing no one, she glanced and Gambit, confusion written across her face. "Did you hear that?"

The pair had been talking about thievery, their only mutual interest, for the last half hour. It calmed Remy more than he thought it would to talk about a part of his life that none of the other X-Men understood or condoned.

"Hear what, chère?"

At his answer, the girl looked even more confused. Her azul eyes focused and her brow was knit together in concentration, she seemed to be straining to hear something. Gambit caught on quick.

"Professor, why don you come on in instead a' confusing our little visitor?" He called over his shoulder to the door, then turned and winked at her, giving the femme a smirk.

The titanium door zipped open and Xavier wheeled himself into the room. He smiled up at the visitor. "Miss Everly, how are we this morning? I see you've already made a new friend."

The girl grimaced and her fists clenched at the sound of her last name. Remy noticed this, then glanced at her eyes. Black tendrils, like the ones that were around his throat but on a smaller scale, zipped and whirled around and across her eyes.

"Look, first things first, if you insist on keeping me here for conversation, you're going to have to call me by my name."

The Professor looked at her curiously. "Your birth certificate says Eris Renee Everly, if I'm not mistaken?"

Her gaze was like stone. "That may be, but it's not my name. My name is Nyx, and it's what I would prefer you call me."

He nodded. "Very well, Nyx. As I'm sure Mr. McCoy told you, I've been looking forward very much to meeting you."

Her eyes betrayed her disbelief. "Why?"

Remy glanced from the Professor, to her, then back again. From just their short conversation, he could tell that Xavier would have a hard time convincing this one to stay. He shifted in his seat, ready to leave when the Professor's voice permeated his mind. _Stay here, Gambit. You're making her feel more comfortable then I am. _This made Gambit uneasy, and he was tempted to leave despite Xavier's plea. He was not the person to find comfort in.

"Your gifts are extraordinary, Nyx. We can use someone like you on a team. Don't you want some place to belong?"

Her eyes turned black in a second and her voice rumbled, hair raven hair swirled around her pallid face. "Stay _out_ of my mind, old man." The cover lifted off her and she rose from the bed. "Just give me my clothes and I'll be on my way."

Xavier turned to a closet on the adjacent wall and the door opened slowly, then the girl's black mini-dress, leather jacket, and boots levitated through the air and rested on the foot of the bed. She picked her clothes quickly and headed toward the bathroom. During this, her eyes phased back to their normal blue hue and her raven locks fell from the air and down her back. Hand on the knob, she turned to Gambit and smirked. "You mind giving me a lift back to town?"

Remy shook his head. "I'd be delighted, chère."

With that she walked into the bathroom, leaving Xavier and Gambit staring at one another in silence.

* * *

><p>"Remy!" Kitty's voice echoed down the hallway as she sprinted to meet him at the door. "Where ya going?"<p>

"Taking our visitor back to town, petit. Why?"

"Do you think you could drop me off at the drug store? I left my toothbrush in a wall again," she said sheepishly.

Nyx quietly joined the two and Kitty glanced at her, apprehension spreading across her face. "On second thought, I'll just ask Peter to take me."

Nyx smirked ruefully and gave Kitty a once-over. "You scared of little ol' me, kitten?" Her eyes quickly faded to black and she winked at the girl. Kitty said nothing, instead giving her a sour look and phasing through the floor.

Remy grimaced at her. "Dat wasn't very nice, chère."

She gave him a look of mock confusion. "Was it not? Whoops! Let's get going."

* * *

><p>"You know, you don't have to walk to me the door. Really," Nyx reminded Remy for the fifth time as they climbed the staircase to her seventh floor apartment.<p>

"I know dat, chère. Mais I'd feel guilty if you got mugged in the stairwell."

Nyx rolled her eyes at him. "Please, I'd give hell to anyone who tried that."

Remy chuckled. "You sure are feisty for a le'enfant."

She abruptly turned and her heels and stabbed a finger into his chest. "Quit calling me that!" she warned him, though the threat lost it's affect when she noticed that, despite her being a step higher than him, he still had inches on her in height. She huffed and started back up the stairs. "We're close to my- What the fuck?" she yelled as she sprinted up the last dozen steps and stopped in front of her apartment.

The door was hanging off its hinges and the frame was splintered. She placed her hand over her mouth in disbelief as she stepped through the threshold and surveyed the wreckage. Furniture was turned over, in the kitchen the cabinets where ripped open and the contents was strewn all over the floor. She made her way back to her bedroom to find her mattress overturned and the closet thrown open, her clothes scattered across the floor. A blouse even hung from a fan blade on the ceiling.

Remy followed her back and stood behind her hesitantly. "Who did you piss off, chère?"

Nyx shook her head slowly." I-I have no idea. I don't own anybody any money, I've never botched a job... Why would someone do this?" she asked in a small voice as her thin arms wrapped around herself.

Remy looked at her pitiful form and felt a twinge of empathy. "Y' t'ink it's time to ret'ink Xavier's offer, non?

* * *

><p>an: hey guys! so this my new gambitoc fic. i've got vague idea of where it's headed, so be patient with me. feedback is **greatly** appreciated considering this is my first x-men fic. oh, and a forewarning, if it's different from the comics, my apologies. i've never read them, but i did some research. please excuse if i change things around.


	2. Deux

In three weeks she had learned a lot about the mansion and its inhabitants. In three weeks she learned that her roommate, Kitty Pryde, had a gigantic crush on Peter, the steel man, and that she hated the smell of lemons. She also learned that even though Nyx originally frightened Kitty, and that their personalities contrasted immensely, they nevertheless became fast friends. She learned that Bobby liked to get drunk then run down the hallway at the break of dawn, banging on everyone's door in a futile attempt to have them greet the sun with him. She learned that Jean Grey had the style of a middle aged housewife and Scott couldn't get enough of it. She learned that Kurt liked to hang upside down and eat oranges while he watched television in the rec room. In three weeks she learned that Hank McCoy studied at both Harvard and Oxford and that he missed being able to wear ties without looking like a circus animal. In three weeks she learned that Logan received no greater enjoyment than he did when he finished a Danger Room exercise faster than the alloted time.

In three weeks she learned that Remy said he hated folk music, but she would catch him tapping his foot to the banjo riffs when she played her favorite songs. She learned that Remy, the king of cards, had no idea how to play gin rummy, and she could easily squash him in a tournament, which they would have on the evenings when he didn't have to run off and save the world again. She learned that the only thing that truly scared Remy was spiders, and she couldn't help herself but to tell him that he had an eight-legged visitor on his shoulder, just so she could watch him spin around and around in pursuit of killing it like a dog chasing its tail. She learned that Remy loved to cook and her vegetarianism baffled him to the point of frustration.

In three weeks, she learned a lot. She learned about a girl with platinum and chestnut hair, and how her sojourn from the X-Mansion had left a gapping hole in the flow of the house. Six months and everyone still didn't know how to completely function without their Mississippi queen. She learned that said girl was to never be spoken of in front of Remy, for at the mention of her name he would tense up, rise from his chair, kicking it back aggressively, and stomp from the room.

Obviously, she had learned a lot in the three weeks she had been at the X-Mansion, but she was a quick learner.

* * *

><p><em>Bang.<em> "Remy?"_ Bang. _"Remy!" _BANG. _"Dammit Remy, open the door!"

Her arms were crossed and her foot was tapping impatiently against the floor as he swung his door open. He was shirtless, his hair still mussed from sleep. "What do y' want, chère?"

"_I _don't want anything, I was sent to retrieve you. Happen to forget that you're leading the Danger Room session today?"

"Merde! Why didn' you wake me up?"

She rolled her eyes. "I just did! I'm not a personal alarm clock, Mr. LeBeau."

"Not even for ol' Gambit?" he asked cheekily, giving her a wink.

"Especially not for him!" Nyx responded, playing along. "Now hurry up and dressed so we can get to work!" With that she turned on her heel and headed back to the elevator.

* * *

><p>It surprised Remy, the ease in which they had fallen into friendship. Everyone in the house thought that they were fucking, knowing his reputation... and her's for that matter. Nyx was never the least bit shy about bringing random men back to the mansion for the night only to have them march the long walk of shame to the front door by themselves. She preferred going to the kitchen and making herself hot tea. The whistles she received from Bobby, and occasionally Remy, never deterred her. One could always count on her having a new temporary beau in the next couple of days.<p>

No, there was nothing sexual between Remy and Nyx, and the thought of something romantic blossoming between then was borderline relationship was that of simple, easy friendship. Ironically, their relationship contained an innocence that neither of them had the pleasure of experiencing in a very long time.

Remy shrugged his trench coat on as he walked into the control room for the Danger Room. When Kitty noticed his presence, she immediately started over to him and socked him in the arm.

"Merde! What was dat for, petit?" He asked her, frowning as he rubbed his arm.

"Nyx is about to do her first solo exercise and you're gonna miss it!" she scolded him then grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the large window that looked down on the sprawling metal room where the X-Men trained.

Nyx nibbled on her lip and shifted from foot to foot. "Can we start now or what?" she bellowed up to the window.

Ororo pushed the red button on the microphone in the control room and nodded. "We can, Gambit is here now." At the mention of his name Nyx strained her eyes, and when she caught sight of him she flipped him her middle finger.

"'Bout time, Cajun! You know we can't start unless everyone's here!"

Remy learned over Storm and pressed his index finger against the button. "Sorry, chère. Mais now we can get started, y' sure y' ready?"

"Yessss!" She whined impatiently. "Just limme break some stuff!"

Remy chuckled. "Alright, alright." With that he nodded to Storm and she started typing commands into the large computer's interface. After a few minutes, red lights flashed in the Danger Room and a robotic woman's voice announced that a training exercise would momentarily commence. Nyx smirked and lifted her arms. Her eyes zipped to black in a flash. She levitated off of the ground, her raven hair swirled and spiraled around her face like snakes.

Random tiles on the walls of the room slid back, letting laser guns stretch out and aim themselves at Nyx. Metal claws began to swirl up from holes in the floor, hesitating only momentarily before they shot in her direction. Her smile broadened and the whole of the room slipped into darkness.

"How are we supposed to stop the exercise if things get too hard? We can't even freaking see her!" Kitty exclaimed worriedly.

Gambit crossed his arms and stepped closer to the window. "Don' worry petit, Gambit can see in dere jus' fine." And he could, with his crimson eyes that had always been more acclimated to darkness than light. He watched as Nyx zipped, glided, flipped, and twirled through the air, dodging every obstacle that crossed her path. She would barely have to extend a finger to send a tendril of darkness around a gun, crushing it in seconds. She raised her palms up and pushed them out when the metal claws advanced towards her, only to have them shatter against her wall of obsidian. Once, she even began spinning like a cyclone through the air, sending daggers of night piercing through three guns at once. Gambit couldn't ignore the awesomeness of her technique and he found himself wishing that he wasn't the only one witnessing her power.

Ten minutes was all it took for her to take out every gun, claw, and robot that got in her way. The Danger Room blinked red again and the robotic voice announced that the session was over. Suddenly, light spread through the room again. Kitty's jaw dropped when she saw the wreckage, Ororo's eyes widened. Remy just smirked, for he had witnessed the whole thing.

Nyx zipped up to the window, grinning wider than a Cheshire cat. Her eyes were once again the color of the ocean instead of the sky. "Can we do that again?"

* * *

><p>The man's fist slammed onto the table as he scowled at the three men facing him. "It's been a month, a fucking <em>month<em>, and you still haven't found her!"

The littlest of the three shuddered at the man's bellowing tone. "We're sorry, Mr. Murdock, but we have no idea where to look! It's like she disappeared into thin air!"

Exhaling loudly, the man pinched the bridge of his nose with his sausage-like fingers. "I don't pay you to make analogies, I pay you to get me what I want, and I _want _her," he said in a calmed tone that was, if possible, even more menacing than the previous yells.

"Let's look at this rationally, sir," interceded the tallest of three, "We know that she hasn't had a gig in the last month either. That gives us something. Maybe she's out of the game now and took off."

The last of the triad crossed his bulky arms and nodded in agreement. "She probably dead, sir. Probably didn't have the skill to finish her last job."

"No!" Murdock bellowed, his eyes frantic at the thought of a deceased Nyx. "She's too good! That didn't happen! We just need to try harder. We have to find her... _I _have to find her! Now go, look some more, try and find something or its your heads!"

The three men hurriedly exited the room.

Murdock was one of the most powerful, and the most ruthless, of the filth that hid in the shadows of New York. He was a ruthless man, cutthroat and on the brink of insanity. When he had hired Nyx for a job, he was instantly enthralled with her. Her mesmerizing eyes and silky raven hair had plagued his dreams for six months, ever since the day he met her. Her face would drift in and out of his consciousness at least a dozen times a day and he knew, he _knew _that if he didn't find his princess of the night soon that he wouldn't be responsible for the havoc he would certainly wreak.

* * *

><p>Nyx wrapped her black sweater tighter around her torso and hopped from foot to foot in an effort to warm herself. The cold wind blew harshly across her face as she took a long drag from the half-finished cigarette in between her fingers. She may be a valiant X-Man now, but she be damned if she gave up smoking, even if Hank chided her for the destruction her habit was doing to her lungs.<p>

Lost in thought, she hardly noticed when the slender cylinder was plucked from between her slim fingers. She whirled around to find Remy smirking down at her.

"Don' y' know smoking's bad for y'?" he questioned as he leaned against the mansion's heavy oak door and took a drag.

She scowled and him and reached for her cigarette only to have him lift it over his head and out of her reach.

"You're so damn annoying sometimes," she said as she leaned against the wall next to him. He handed the cigarette back to her and she took a drag, exhaling the gray smoke into rings.

"Non, it's impossible to be annoying when y' as charmin' as moi."

She only snorted in retort and gave the cigarette back to him. "Hurry up and finish that, Cajun. I'm freezing my ass off."

Remy flicked the cigarette off the porch and opened the door. "After y', chère."

As they walked into the mansion, they met Bobby, Emma, and Logan in the foyer. Emma was dressed in a white mini with a sky blue top and brown heeled boots. Bobby dawned a t-shirt and jeans.

"Goin' somewhere?" Remy asked the trio.

"We're going out, finally!" Bobby replied. The team had been kept busy the last week, between odd missions and training Nyx. "You two wanna join?"

Nyx perked up and clapped her hands together. "Sounds like a plan to me. Remy?"

Remy bit him lip and shrugged. "Not really up ta' it t'night, chère."

Nyx rolled her eyes and tugged on Remy's sleeves. "Come on, you can afford to take a break from your brooding once in a while."

Remy's eyes widened at her blunt reply, a retort was forming in his mouth just as Bobby burst into laughter.

"She's got a point, Rems," he said, walking over to him and clapping him on the shoulder. "Come out with us and get wasted, man. You know you wanna."

Emma nodded in agreement with her boyfriend. "Yeah, where's the Remy we know and love?"

Nyx prodded him with her elbow and tossed a cheesy wink at him. "You know you wanna," she teased, repeating Bobby.

Remy sighed. "Fine, fine. Y' convinced me."

She threw him a smile before she started bounding up the stairs. "You guys wait five minutes, I'm gonna change!"

* * *

><p>Nyx met the group downstairs in exactly four minutes and twenty-one seconds, she had timed it so she wouldn't get left behind. She was not the type to miss out on a good time. As she descended the stairs, she received a whistle from Bobby. Nyx simply rolled her eyes. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt, fishnets and black granny boots. She had also painted her lips a crimson that matched her top. When she reached the four, she grinned.<p>

"Let's head out!"

They headed to the mansion's sprawling garage and climbed into Bobby's blue SUV. It took them about fifteen minutes to reach a bar called The Uptown. Nyx looked out the window the whole time, her eyes glued to the scenery as it sped before her. This was definitely not her part of town. Huge two and three story lavish houses stood in the middle of perfectly manicured lawns. BMWs and Cadillacs dotted the long cobblestone driveways.

When they finally got into the city, with many horn blares and curses, Bobby found a parking spot suitable for him. It was only a block away from their destination. They all exited the car and headed down the crowded sidewalk two file, Emma and Bobby leading the way.

"So y' gonna embarrass y'self tonigh', chère?" Remy asked her over the bustle.

Nyx just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno... probably," she replied simply.

It was Remy's turn to laugh as he held the bar's door open for her. "Well don' worry, Remy'll keep ya' in line."

She quirked an eyebrow at him as the made their way to the bar, leaving Bobby and Emma to search for a table after telling Nyx their orders. "Oh really?"

Remy nodded and smirked at her, his eyes full of mirth.

"Well, we'll see about that," Nyx said to him, then turned to the bar and tapped her hand twice to get the bartender's attention. He meandered over.

"What can I get you, pretty lady?"

She smiled politely back to him. "Vodka, straight, please. And two beers."

"And for your friend?" the man turned to Remy, the smile dropped as he made eye contact with him.

"Whiskey, please, mon ami," he told him, flashing him a teasing smile. If there was one thing that Remy truly enjoyed, it was making fools of the people who were taken aback by his eyes.

The bartender hurriedly served them their alcohol and they made their way to Emma and Bobby, each carrying a beer.

"I don't see how you drink this awful stuff," Nyx told Emma as she handed her the beer and scooted into the half-moon booth beside her, Remy following suit. "It's disgusting," she said, scowling.

Emma shrugged. "I didn't like it until I met Bobby, he got me drinking it," she replied as she lifted up a hand to rub Robby's shoulder.

Bobby smirked. "And I'll get you to drink it too!" He told Nyx mockingly.

"Doubt it," Nyx replied.

The quartet smiled and laughed as they drank, even Remy was loosening up as he filled himself with more bourbon. As he began to feel the effects of the alcohol, warmth spread through him and he began to fill his old self again. It seemed that since Rogue left, Remy only truly stopped thinking about her when he was either drinking or fighting.

Eventually, Bobby and Emma left the booth to dance. Nyx quickly followed them after a redhead had asked her onto the floor. Remy stayed where he was and continued drinking until a blond slinked over to the empty booth and began chatting him up. He wasted minutes of empty conversation with the woman until Nyx returned and slid into the booth clumsily. She eyes were shining from vodka and she was flushed from dancing.

"And here I was worrying you were here all by your lonesome!" she told Remy as she scooted over to him.

"Non, Tiffany here was keepin' m' company," he said as he motioned to the woman.

Nyx eyed the blond before turning back to Remy. "I'm getting another drink, you want one?"

"Oui," he replied. Nyx scooted out of the booth again and went to the bar. When she returned, drinks in hand, the blond was gone.

"Where's _Tiffany_?" she teased Remy as she handed him his drink.

"She left. I t'ink you intimdiated her, chère," he said, smirking at her. "But who wouldn't be intimidated by y' pretty face?" he replied, winking.

"You have a point," Nyx laughed as she took a sip of her vodka. She looked up as a blond, hulking man in a tight white t-shirt made his way over to her. He scooted into the booth brazenly and eyed her.

"You wanna dance, sexy?" he asked huskily.

Nyx choked on her drink as laughter bubbled up from her throat. "I think I'm alright, thanks though."

The man looked crestfallen, he obviously wasn't rejected on many occasions. "What, that your boyfriend or something?"

She glanced at Remy and they smiled, both mentally laughing at the man.

"Remy's not my boyfriend. I just don't wanna dance with you, sugar," she replied then patted his hand. "Run along." The man scowled and left the booth, murmuring something along the lines of "stupid bitch" as he left. Nyx was too preoccupied giggling at the blond to notice the change in Remy's eyes.

One word was all it took and the memories came flooding back. Memories of flirting, of auburn hair and emerald eyes. Before Remy's hazy mind registered what he was doing, he had placed a hand on Nyx's thigh and was rubbing it softly. She took another drink as she eyed him, but she was already drunk, and Remy's foreign fingers felt too good for her to protest. He turned to her, his red eyes full of lust. Lust and something else she couldn't put her finger on. He lightly peppered kisses on her neck as his wandering fingers worked his way up her thigh. She tilted her neck upwards, allowing his mouth easier access to the delicate skin just below her jawline.

To Nyx, it was like the whole world had dropped out from below her, and all that was left was she and Remy, suspended in the booth, surrounded by nothingness. She let out a barely audible gasp has his hand worked its way up to the valley in between her legs, and his fingers started to gently knead her through her underwear.

"Remy..." she breathed, her eyes hooded in pleasure.

But, almost instantaneously, as soon as she said his name, he stopped short and and yanked his hand out from under her skirt.

Remy looked up, into her eyes, and a wave of confusion flashed quickly over his eyes. He was slightly dumbfounded when his red irises met icy blues, instead of the verdigris hues he was halfway expecting.

Nyx stared back, her eyes mingled confusion with hurt. Her usual cool exterior was unabated by her current inebriation.

"I, uh-," Remy began, his mind searching desperately for an excuse. A reason for his sudden change.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Nyx said as she quickly scooted herself out of the booth. Her knees knocked against the table and she cursed under her breath as she rushed toward the neon bathroom sign across the room.

Remy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Merde," he breathed. He quickly begin thinking up an apology, but as he waited one minute turned into two, and then ten, and Nyx still hadn't returned. Instead of the brunette he was anxiously waiting for, a blond appeared. Emma had her arms drawn across her chest and she glared at Remy.

"What did you do?"

Remy kept his cool and tossed Emma a bewildered look. "What you mean?"

"Oh, I think you know," she replied harshly. He didn't reply, only raised in eyebrow at her. "Nyx!" she half yelled when she got no response.

"I didn' do anyt'ing," Remy replied hurriedly, biting his lip.

"Bullshit!" she replied. "Last time I saw her she said she was gonna come check on you, then next thing I know she's practically running out the door with some blond tool on her arm."

"Look, I didn't do shit!" Remy told her in a sharp retort.

She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. Remy had had enough, he bolted up and stood his ground, despite the willingness his legs felt to give way from under him.

"I'm gettin' the fuck outta here, I don' need dis inquisition," he said, venom dripping from his words. Emma opened her mouth to respond, but Remy didn't give her any time to as he spun on his heels and stalked out of the bar into the biting autumn air.

* * *

><p><strong>an: <strong>here's the second chapter! i've already got chapter three done and chapter four is already half way done. i'm just waiting for some feedback so i know whether to continue on. review please! (:


	3. Trois

_Remy opened his eyes with a start and glanced around him. He was in a cage. The metal bars seemed illuminated in the void that surrounded him. He turned left, then right, in both directions seeing nothing but endless black. The blackness seemed to carry on for miles. He felt a growing sense of dread as the minutes wore on. Eventually, he felt as if he had been there for hours. Finally Remy came up with an idea, mentally scolding himself that he didn't think of it sooner. He reached down to the side of his duster and searched the pocket, looking for a deck. Finding nothing, he slightly hesitated, then reached for the other pocket. It was empty as well._

_"Merde," he breathed as he glimpsed around, trying to find anything he could to blast himself out of this cage. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his brain that told him if he didn't fight to get out of there, then he never would. And he knew that couldn't stay here in this horrible place._

_He took off his gloves and extended his fingers in the direction of the cage. He grasped onto the bars tightly, closing his eyes and bracing himself. He knew that blasting an expanse as condensed as this would have its collateral damage. He willed the energy to course through his body and collect itself at his fingertips, but nothing happens. Remy quickly let go of the bars, his mind facing the jarring thought that his powers didn't work. He wasn't going to get out of here._

_"Remy?" a voice called, and a small ball of emerald light silently floated over to the cage. It bounced and bobbed in the air like a feather being carried by the wind._

_His voice went thick at the sound of the voice, recognizing its owner. "Rogue?" _

_"Why did ya leave me, Remy?" the haunting voice questioned._

_"I didn't leave ya, chère," he replied. "You left me."_

_Suddenly the scene changed dramatically. He was in an empty field and the full moon loomed over the hills. Tall grass swayed in the cool breeze. She was standing in front of him. Her bare fingers reached up slowly and she softly ran her fingers down his cheek. Before he realized it, his hand jerked up and grasped her fingers tightly. He watched her squirm under his crushing grip. He merely sneered and seized her opposite wrist in his other hand. He looked down at his hands and gasped._

_"No."_

_His hands were completely black. He looked into her eyes and saw a black figure reflecting back at him through her irises. His shock of white hair blew about lazily in the soft wind. Suddenly, Remy's mind clicked completely. He grinned at her, but the malicious gleam in his eye made it look more similar to a snarl. He quickly wrapped his hands around Rogue's neck and began to squeeze._

_"You left me, Remy. Ah wasn't the one who left," she gasped as he throttled the last amounts of air out of her lungs._

* * *

><p>Remy awoke with a start and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. A dream. It was another fucking dream. This was the fourth time that this dream had plagued his sleep, and every time it would end the same way, with the same gruesome ending. His skin crawled at the thought of it. Sighing, he climbed out of bed and ambled over to his closet, grabbing a change of clothes and a fresh towel.<p>

He stayed in the shower for almost an hour, letting the scalding water pelt his skin until it was red. He rubbed his aching head, knowing he would need some aspirin very soon if he was going to conquer this headache. His hangover was especially aggravating him, seeing as before walking halfway back to the mansion before Bobby and Emma picked him up, he had managed to buy a pint of bourbon at the corner store and was nursing it when they found him stumbling down the street.

The memories of the night came back in a flash, and Nyx's face flashed through his mind. He mentally kicked himself repeatedly for what he had done. Emma said nothing more on the car ride home and Bobby, feeling awkwardness in the air, turned up the radio and bobbed his head to the beat all of the way back to mansion. Upon returning, Gambit simply climbed out of the car and fumbled all the way to his room. He barely made it to his bed before he passed out.

But now, being completely lucid and sober, he had to face the consequences of his actions. He vaguely remember Emma telling him that Nyx had left. When they got back to the mansion at four in the morning, she wasn't there. Emma purposefully marched to the room that belonged to Kitty and Nyx. She peered in quietly and saw that only one bed was occupied. Nyx had not spent a night away from the mansion since she moved in and Emma couldn't help but assume that whatever happened with Remy last night had led to her sudden absence.

She was fuming last night, but surprisingly, as he left the bathroom feeling slightly recuperated, she just stared at him as she passed him on the hallway. He shrugged it off. Remy deposited his dirty clothes in his room to wash later before he made his way downstairs. When he walked into the kitchen he stopped short.

There was Nyx, perched on the kitchen counter, peeling a slice of orange and then popping it into her mouth. "Morning," she mumbled through a full mouth when she noticed him.

"Mornin'," he replied hesitantly.

* * *

><p>Nyx opened her eyes slowly and for a millisecond, she didn't know where she was, but then the events of the previous night came back to her in a flood. Grimacing, she turned her head to the right and saw the blond slumbering beside her. She took in his features and concluded that, despite the swollen muscles, he actually looked quite boyish. Not her type. She cautiously lifted the bed sheets off of her and nimbly crawled out of his bed without waking him. She gathered various articles of her clothing and threw them on. Then, she checked the pocket of her skirt for some money for a cab, and found nothing. She contemplated taking money from the blond's wallet for cab fair, but decided against it. Today, she felt like flying back to the mansion in hopes that it would clear her head.<p>

She walked over to the window; unlatched and opened it quietly. Looking up to the sky, she checked the horizon, and finding decent cloud cover, lifted her arms. Her eyes turned black in a second and she shot through the window and up in the air, above the New York smog so she wouldn't be spotted.

As the wind whipped her hair back, she mulled over the events of last night. She tried to replay all the events that led up to Remy's off-color behavior. He seemed to be enjoying him, and she was definitely enjoying him. But it had stopped so suddenly. She felt a chill run down her spine as the look in his eyes cemented itself in her mind. When she had seen the sheer confusion flash across his eyes she was certain that it was not she that he was thinking of, it unnerved her. Still, what unnerved her more, was how it got to her. How many years had she successfully kept her ironclad walls around her, successfully keeping people out? And he had created a fissure in the walls in less than a minute. She knew had to careful around him from now on.

When she saw the Mansion come into view, she lowered her altitude and softly landed on the dewy grass. She was thankful that the foyer was empty when she entered the house, and she crept upstairs to her room noiselessly. She tip-toed into her room and grabbed a change of clothes then headed to the shower.

She showered quickly, the steam helping to clear her head. She clicked the water off and climbed out, quickly toweling herself dry, then slid on a black tank and gray sweatpants. She deposited last night's outfit in her room before making her way down to the kitchen. Looking at the clock that read 6:30 AM in flashing red letters, she then wasn't surprised that she hadn't encountered anyone since she returned to the mansion. Who would purposefully wake up this early on a Sunday?

She set up the coffee maker and then grabbed an orange out of the hanging fruit basket over the sink. She hoisted herself onto the counter so she could enjoy her orange. She had just popped a slice of the sour fruit into her mouth when he walked into the kitchen.

_This was it_, she though to herself, _time to play things cool or make a fool of yourself_.

"Morning," she mumbled to him through a full mouth.

"Mornin'," he replied, she detected the hesitancy in his voice.

Nyx thumbed in the direction of the coffee maker. "I made coffee."

He groaned and rubbed his forehead. "T'ank God."

She smirked at him. "Someone a bit hungover?"

He shook his head. "Y' have no idea."

This fact calmed her slightly, maybe he had completely forgotten about last night. She opened her mouth to speak when a deep tiber reverberated through her mind. _Nyx, could you please join me in my office? I would like to speak with you._

She sighed. "Geez, does that guy ever sleep?"

Remy looked at her curiously. "Who, chère?"

"The Professor," she replied as she hopped off the counter. "He wants to see me in his office. Hope I'm not in trouble," she added jokingly.

Remy smiled at her and handed her a mug of coffee; black, the way she liked it.

"Good luck, chère," he told her.

"Thanks," she said as she exited the kitchen.

* * *

><p>The heavy oak door clicked open when Nyx raised her hand to knock. She poked her head into the sprawling office and looked around; floor to ceiling bookshelves covered three walls, while the last wall was covered with pictures of the Professor with various students, his diploma, and other images. A strong oak desk, the same stain as the crown molding on the ceiling, was set directly center of the room.<p>

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Nyx asked into the seemingly empty room.

The Professor hovered by a window facing the eastern side of the mansion. He turned when he heard her voice and smiled at her. "Yes, Nyx. Do come in."

She walked in and stood awkwardly by the door until the Professor motioned for her to take a seat in front of his desk. She settled in and smiled at him. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me?" she asked. "For what?"

"For becoming an official member of the X-Men," he said as he opened a drawer at the top of his desk and pulled out a folded black lycra body suit, a golden X was emblazoned on the chest of it, over the heart.

She reached out and took the uniform from him. Fingering the stiff material, she looked up at him and smiled broadly. "Wow, I don't know what to say."

He merely shook his head and drew his fingers together in front of him. "No need to say anything, we're glad to have you."

Suddenly, a monitor set atop his desk began to blink red and beep furiously.

Nyx looked at the monitor curiously. "You need me to go?"

"This is an alert, it seems someone is in need of the X-Men's assistance. Why don't you head to the debriefing room? Everyone will be along shortly."

Nyx nodded and made her way out of the office, taking a left to board the elevator that would take her down to the basement of the mansion, where the debriefing room was located. She smiled softly to herself and absentmindedly began to finger the material of the uniform again. She held it up and left it unfold as she studied it. Just then, the elevator door clicked open and Nyx was suddenly facing Kitty and Piotr.

Kitty squealed and rushed into the elevator. "The Professor finally gave you your uniform!" she said, oozing excitement.

Piotr followed behind Kitty and gave Nyx a meek nod. "Velcome to ze team."

She beamed up at them both. "Should I feel this excited? Only thing I got was a cheesy uniform."

Kitty snorted and jabbed Nyx with her elbow playfully. "Please, now you're a designated badass, just like yours truly."

Nyx raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Sorry to say, Kit, but there's not a thing about you that's badass."

Piotr let out a laugh in spite of himself and Kitty glowered at him. "Don't take her side, Peter!"

He held up his large hands in mock defeat. "She does have point, though. You are no, how you say?, badass."

Kitty threw up her arms and gave an exasperated sigh. "Gosh, you guys are a total self-esteem killer."

Nyx chuckled and wrapped her arm around Kitty. "Don't worry, dearie. Auntie Nyx will personally tudor you in the art of badassery." Nyx kept her arm wrapped around Kitty's shoulder as the three exited the elevator and headed into the debriefing room. Ororo, Jean, Bobby, Emma, and, of course, Scott were already there.

"God, you guys really respond to the alarm, don't you?" Nyx asked as she unwrapped herself from Kitty and settled into a chair around the conference table. "Where's Remy?"

A voice responded to her inquiry from the door. "Righ' here, chère. Y' miss me, already?" He teased as he took a seat next to her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't flatter yourself, boy," she scoffed.

Emma's eyes shot from Nyx to Remy, then back to Nyx. Her gaze settled on the girl. _Are you okay? _she projected into Nyx's mind.

Nyx shot her a startled look and then thought: _Geez, I can't get used to you telepaths. Why wouldn't I be okay?_

_About what happened last night..?_

Nyx grimaced. _Nothing happened last night, let's forget about it._

Emma shot her an incredulous look, but nodded slightly, ending the conversation.

After that, the Professor hovered into the room and took his spot at the head of the table.

"What's the problem, Professor?" Scott asked quickly. Nyx rolled her eyes at his need to please.

The Professor knitted his hands together in his lap and looked around the expanse of the room. "We have a hostage situation, X-Men. A dear friend of mine is being held against his will, along with other various scientists. It is our duty to retrieve them."

The group listened intently as the Professor enlightened them to the problem.

"Speed and stealth will be key in this mission. We need to get in and out without alerting our presence. Nyx, you and Gambit will be in charge of retrieving the hostages. The rest of the team will be dispatched throughout the warehouse as your backup. They'll be your defense if anything goes awry."

After a few more bits of information on the situation they would be putting themselves into, the group was released to suit up and make their way to the Blackbird. Nyx couldn't quell the ball of excitement building in her stomach for her first mission

* * *

><p><strong>an: <strong>being completely honest, i just love writing about the x-men. feedback, perhaps?


	4. Quatre

Nyx gazed at her reflection in the mirror and grimaced. Her new uniform fit like a glove, but it was so constricting. Quickly, she unzipped the front from her neck down to her chest, slid on her black motorcycle boots, and plaited her hair. She looked into the mirror again and, deeming these subtle changes better than before, exited the room she shared with Kitty.

She headed down the hallway and was about to round the corner to get to the elevator when she heard hushed tones coming from around the corner. She quickly stopped walking and leaned herself against the wall. She strained her ears and and finally recognized the voices. They belonged to Scott and Jean and they were whispering about... her. Her ears perked up at the sound of her name.

"I just don't know if we can trust Nyx. I mean, how much do we really know about her?" she heard Scott whisper hurriedly.

Nyx knitted her eyebrows in concentration, straining to hear Jean's reply.

"That's not fair, Scott. We have nothing to judge her on."

Scott sighed. "I just don't know why the Professor assigned her and Gambit to rescue the hostages. He's already proven that we can't trust him!"

Nyx bit her lip. What had Remy done to lose the trust of Scott?

"You mean Rogue?" Jean asked him.

"Yes! Jean, you know as well as everybody else that she left because of him."

"Scott, are you sure you don't trust Nyx because she and Remy are friends?"

"No!" he replied quickly. "We don't know where she came from, what she did before. She could be a common criminal for all we know!"

Nyx narrowed her eyes and rounded the corned quickly.

"What the hell is your problem with me, Scott?" she demanded.

Scott and Jean's eyes widened as they turned to look at Nyx. Jean bit her lip. Scott squared his shoulders.

"Well since you don't mind eavesdropping, you know what it is. We don't know a damn thing about you!"

Nyx stepped up so she was mere inches from Scott. "Looks like all you need to know is that I got the skills to get those hostages out quickly, and you don't."

Scott opened his mouth to reply but Nyx held her hand up to silence him. "I don't care what you have to say. Just thank me when we're through with the mission." At that, she pushed past him and entered the elevator, slamming on the down button repeatedly until the door opened.

* * *

><p>Nyx was staring daggers into the back of Scott's head as the Blackbird lifted itself off the ground and shot out of the hanger. Remy noticed her hard gaze and leaned across his seat so he was looking at Nyx.<p>

"Somethin' wrong, chère?" he asked.

Nyx turned to him quickly and frowned. "No!"

Remy quirked his eyebrow at her in disbelief.

"Look," she said through gritted teeth, "let's just get those hostages the hell out of dodge as fast as possible. I gotta prove to a certain boy scout that I'm not as incompetent as I look."

Remy let out a chuckle and turned to look at Scott. "Someone get under y' skin?"

Nyx let out a frustrated huff. "That guy pisses me off."

Remy knitted his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his seat. "Then we jus' gotta prove him wrong, non?"

Nyx merely smirked ruefully and nodded.

* * *

><p>The jet landed swiftly and quietly in a clearing surrounded by tall evergreens that successfully camouflaged it from roaming eyes. Scott quickly unbuckled himself from his seat and stood up, facing the others.<p>

"Okay, guys. Here's the game plan: Wolverine, you, Colossus, and I will monitor the perimeter of the building while Nyx and Gambit go in for the hostages. If they should fail, we go in and get the situation under control. Jean and Storm will monitor the skies for foreign aircraft while Kitty and Emma stay here to keep the Blackbird on standby and help Nyx and Gambit maneuver the warehouse. Everybody ready?"

The group collectively nodded and stood from their seats. Emma pressed a button on the jet's control panel and the door to the jet made a whirring sound as the hatch lowered. Bobby kissed Emma on the check and Piotr nodded to Kitty as the exited the aircraft.

Logan turned to Gambit and Nyx as he extended his claws. "If you guys needs us, just project to Jean or Emma. They'll let us know." Piotr shifted into his steel form and the trio jogged took off into the woods.

"Let's do this," Nyx said as her blue eyes shifted to pure black. "Hope you don't get dizzy," she said to Remy with a smirk as she extended her hand to him. He latched onto it and they lifted into the air, quickly zipping towards the warehouse. They landed in front of the warehouse and melted against the wall. Nyx elbowed Remy and nodded towards a camera mounted at the entrance of the building. Remy whipped a card from his pocket and charged it. He flicked it at the camera and it whined as it shot through the air. It settled on the camera and exploded, causing the camera to burst into tiny pieces.

They sprinted in front of the entrance and Remy lodged another charged card between the two steel doors. They stood back as it exploded and the lock flew off the doors and landed with a useless thud on the ground. Gambit pulled the door open and glanced around. Dim florescent lights hung from the ceiling of a long white hallway.

Remy turned to Nyx. "Y' turn," he whispered to her.

She nodded and the room plummeted into darkness in a flash. The two began to run down the hallway. _Where are we headed? _Nyx projected to Emma.

_At the end of this hallway take a left, it's the second door on the right. There's two men guarding the door. They're armed, so be careful. They're confused too, they think somebody cut the power._

_Gotcha. _Nyx and Remy continued to run down the hallway and turned left. Nyx grabbed Remy's arm as they rounded the corner and pulled him against the wall. "Two guards," she whispered to him. "One for each of us."

He nodded and pulled his bo staff out of an interior pocket. With a flick of his wrist it extended to its full length. Nyx closed her eyes momentarily and black tendrils weaved their way from behind her, seemingly sprouting from her back. They turned the corner and Remy launched himself at the first guard. He flung his bo staff and it connected with the man's temple. The man crumpled onto the ground. The other heard his comrade fall and jerked to the right, reaching for a radio attached to his shoulder. Nyx lifted her arms and the black tendrils shot themselves at the man, slamming the man against the wall in a fury. He too crumpled to the ground.

They approached the door and and Remy tried the handle, it was locked. He pulled out a card, but Nyx grabbed his wrist. She leaned down and pulled a keycard attached to a cord on one of the guard's belt. She swiped it through a slot by the handle of the door and the door popped open. They hurried inside, Nyx shut the door behind them and then the florescent lights buzzed back to life. In front of them were three men and two women, all dressed in dress clothes with their white lab coats covering them. Five pairs of eyes jerked up and instantly filled with fear. Their arms and legs were bound by black tape and they were huddled together at the center of the room.

"Please, leave us alone!" a man in horn-rimmed glasses pleaded to them. It was then that Remy and Nyx noticed that all of the scientists were covered in fresh brushes and lacerations.

Remy and Nyx stepped cautiously toward them. Remy placed a gloved finger over his lips. "Shh," he cooed. "We're here ta get y' out."

The pair walked over to them and Remy grabbed the shoulder of one man, leaning him forward slightly to better reach the bindings on his wrists. The man cringed away from him.

"How do we know that?" a redheaded woman asked them emptily.

Remy's finger glowed a bright pink as he poked the binds of the hand he was holding onto and they sizzled away, freeing his wrists.

"You're just gonna have to trust us, alright?" Nyx answered.

Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps and the clicks of loaded rifles outside of the room.

Nyx turned to Remy. "You untie the rest and keep them close to you, I'll take care of the welcoming party."

Remy looked at her cautiously. "Y' sure, chère?"

She nodded. "Let me do this," she said with a sense of finality.

Remy squeezed her hand and then she turned towards the door. She began walking towards it slowly as she lifted her arms, plunging the room into complete darkness for the second time.

Remy watched her as he freed all of the hostages from their bindings. She levitated of the ground and tendril shot out from her back, blasting the door off of its hinges. A dozen armed men immediately rushed into the room but could only look around, fumbling to aim at anything they could in the dark.

A wall of obsidian rushed towards them and knocked them all to their feet. They grunted and Nyx heard a gruff voice shout commands. "Stay alert, men! Flashlights, now!"

Twelve pinholes of light blinked on and focused themselves at Nyx. She immediately zipped up into the air, narrowly dodging a barrage of bullets.

"What the hell is that thing?" one shouted.

"A mutant," another voice seethed. "Bring her down!"

Nyx zipped in spirals and wrapped a tendril around the waists of two men, knocking them against two opposite walls. They fell to the ground, unconscious. She took out four more in this manner until they caught on and separated from one another. Nyx didn't falter however, she plummeted down in front of one man, narrowly kicking him across jaw and then shooting him through the open doorway. Another man rushed towards her, rifle aimed, but a tendril ripped it from his grasp and flung it across the room. He screamed as another tendril grabbed him around the ankle and hoisted him upside down into the air. It flung his body into another man, and they silently fell to the ground.

Remy could only watch intently as she took the men down, one by one. Occasionally bright spurts of light would zip through the air, but the bullets always missed her and ended up zooming through the walls of the room. All the hostages were huddled around him and a woman clutched at his arm.

"What's going on?" she asked desperately as they heard a man grunt and then topple to the ground.

"My friend is jus' clearin' the way for us, petit."

Remy heard her gulp and looked at her, she nodded her head in the darkness.

In mere minutes, only two men were left, the man originally spouting orders, and another soldier, stalking around in the dark. Their flashlights zipped all about the room as they searched for Nyx. Remy looked up and saw her hovering open them. Silently, a tendril wrapped around the mouth of the man and another slammed against his temple, he fell instantly. Nyx propelled toward the other man, but was caught off guard by a roundhouse kick to her face. His foot heavily collided with her cheek. She lurched back and spat blood out of her mouth, looking around in a daze.

Remy instantly shot to his feet. "Stay here!" he commanded in a firm whisper to the huddled hostages and then sprinted over to the guard and Nyx. She was a few feet off of the ground, swinging her head back and forth looking for the man. He knelt directly beneath her, his gun trained at her forehead. Remy rushed the man and slammed his bo staff across the back of the man's head. He let out a yelp before falling into unconsciousness.

"Remy?" she questioned warily. Then she saw a set of red eyes gaze up at her.

"Oui, chère. Now how 'bout you give us some light an' we get outta here, non?"

She nodded and drifted softly onto the floor. The lights flash back on again. They motioned for the hostages to join them and they rushed out of the room.

"Where are we going?" wheezed a man from behind Nyx as they ran down the hall.

"Jus' follow us!" Remy replied as they ran out of the building and across the complex to a barbed wire fence. Remy flung a charged card at the fence. An explosion, and then the chain links melted away and gap big enough for all to fit through appeared.

Remy and Nyx quickly ushered the hostages through the fence and then they climbed through it themselves. They sprinted into the woods and saw Wolverine, Cyclops, and Colossus jogging towards them.

A woman gasped from behind them. Nyx tilted her head back and addressed her. "It's okay, they're with us. Just keep going!"

Soon the group made it to the clearing and they piled into the jet. Storm, Jean, Emma, Bobby, and Kitty were already strapped in and waiting for them. The hatch closed and Cyclops settled the scientists as the Storm propelled the jet up into the air. It zipped off, headed back to the mansion.

* * *

><p>Nyx fell into her seat with a thud, not bothering to strap herself in. Her breathes slowed as her quickened pulse relaxed to a normal rate. She lifted her hand up to her cheek and touched it gingerly, wincing as a sharp pain radiated across the right side of her face. She could already feel the swelling spreading across her cheek.<p>

In an instant Remy was kneeling in front of her, worry etched across his face. "Here, chère. Let Remy take a look," he said as he eased his hand up.

She shrank away from him and shook her head. "No, it's okay," she said and then swallowed, tasting the coppery twang of blood in her mouth.

"Nyx!" she heard a shrill voice in front of her. Remy turned his head around and she looked up simultaneously.

Kitty was in front of her in a flash. "What happened to your face?"

Nyx gave her a smile, but it was marred by the pain that shot through her face.

"Here," a smoothing voice came from behind them. It was one of the hostages, the man in horn-rimmed glasses.

"I'm a doctor, let me take a look," he said as he bowed in front of Nyx.

Nyx couldn't help but roll her eyes. "It was just a kick, I don't know why you guys are worrying. It's not that bad."

The doctor softly pressed his fingers against her cheek and she howled in pain. He felt around for a few more moments, Nyx bit her lip from crying out anymore.

"I take it Charles sent you?" he asked to no one in particular as he tended to Nyx's face. Kitty had handed him the jet's first aid kit and he was carefully dabbing an alcohol pad against the gash on Nyx's cheek.

"Yeah, he did," Kitty answered him.

He merely nodded and pressed a butterfly bandage against Nyx's cheek. She winced but kept still.

"Looks like he cracked your cheek bone on impact, be careful for the next week and it should heal up just fine. Your lip's busted too, but it's nothing serious."

"Thank you," Nyx said quietly as she gently touched the bandage on her face.

"No, dear," he began, shaking his head. "You, and you," he said, briefly looking at Gambit, "saved our lives. I'm eternally grateful."

Nyx shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but couldn't ignore the warmth that spread through her chest at the man's kind words. _Eat your words, Scott_, she thought smugly.

* * *

><p>The man stumbled into his commander's office and slumped against the wall. "Why didn't you," he paused and gulped a large breathe of air, "send in reinforcements?" he wheezed. He could feel his cracked ribs protest at the simple act of speaking.<p>

The man was standing in front of the many large monitors anchored on the wall. A huge control panel was laid out beneath them. He rubbed his chin in thought as he enhanced the brightness of the footage, playing on loop in front of him.

"I was observing."

He gaped at the back of the figure looming in front of him. "We were getting pummeled out there!" he seethed harshly.

The figure turned to him, his cold eyes bore into him. "Who was attacking you?"

"You're not listening," he continued.

"Answer me!" the man's voice boomed.

The soldier shrank under the other man's command. "A girl," he breathed. "I barely got a look at her, it was so dark..."

The man turned back to monitors and typed a command into the control panel. One monitor immediately zoomed in on a man with red eyes, his body stood protectively between the hostages and the violent exchange in front of him.

"Well isn't this a surprise," he said, more to himself than the opposite man. "My old friend Gambit."

"What about the hostages?" he soldier asked, ripping the other man away from his concentration on the monitor.

He tossed his hand in the air flippantly. "Forget about them. I'm intrigued with her," he said, tapping his ghostly white finger against the glance of the screen.

"Your men better recuperate quickly, Commander."

"Sir?"

"I want to learn more about her," he said, once again tapping the screen. "She is a very interesting specimen, indeed."

The soldier used the palms of his hands to hoist himself up the wall. "Yes Dr. Essex," he said, and gave a slight bow. This made him grimace, and he grabbed his side as he limped out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>an:<strong> okay, so in case you didn't notice, this was a big chapter. we now have our villian, boys and girls. i wanted to take a moment to point out that yes, in this story cyclops is a huge d-bag, and some may see that as story of an x-men fanfiction cliche, but i regret nothing. i've never liked cyclops anyway. i've had this chapter written out for a while, but honestly i've been neglecting this story. i didn't bother posting it but the other day i saw that i had two reviews, and that sparked the urge to write again. chapter five has had a slow start, but i've got ideas forming. well this is a pretty long author's note, so i'll finish off here with saying enjoy this chapter, and please review! (:


	5. Cinq

Nyx adjusted a plate on one hand as she knocked on Remy's door. "Remy, you in there?"

"S'en aller," she heard him respond, his voice garbled by the wood between them.

"I don't speak French, so I'm just coming in!" she replied as she entered the room.

"It means 'go away'," Remy told her as she entered. He then took a drink out of a bottle swaddled in a paper bag. He was slung along his bed, half-propped against the headboard and he stared absentmindedly at the dresser across from him.

Nyx shrugged. "Well, I'm in here now. And look! I brought food," she said as she seated herself on the edge of the bed. "You gotta eat, Remy."

"Is dat so, chère? Remy wasn't aware dat you were his keeper now."

She shot a scowl at him. "I'm just making sure that you don't drink yourself to death. You know alcohol's not allowed in the mansion."

Remy smirked at her. "I won' give any of the filles booze, I promise."

She sighed and repositioned herself next him, placing the plate on his lap. Taking the bottle from his grip, she took a sip and frowned.

"What is this?"

"Bourbon," Remy answered as he took a bite out of a roll.

"It tastes like shit."

Remy chuckled. "You don' have to drink it, chère."

"Naw," Nyx replied as she folded her arm behind her head and leaned against the headboard. "Don't wanna miss out on the party," she added as she took another swig.

Remy cast her a sideways glance as he stabbed some green beans with his fork. "Why you doin' this?"

Nyx looked at him curiously. "Isn't it obvious? You haven't eaten, I thought you'd be hungry."

Remy shook his head. "No, I mean all of dis. Why're you wastin' your time on me?"

Nyx's mouth drooped into a momentary frown. "You were the first to welcome me here, Remy. I consider you and friend, and I don't know what's eating you, but that's not gonna stop me from trying to cheer you up."

Remy smiled slightly and speared some more beans. "Can I ask y' a question?" he asked after he swallowed a mouthful of food.

Nyx nodded and took another snort from the bottle. "You have the right to ask, I have the right to decline answering."

Remy nodded. "Fair enough," he paused, "Why don' y' like your real name?"

Nyx visibly stiffened and Remy momentarily regretted his decision to ask her the question that had sporadically popped into his mind ever since Nyx had arrived at the mansion. "Y' exercisin' your right to decline?"

She turned to look at him and her icy-colored eyes bore into his own. "Do you know where the name comes from?"

Remy shook his head.

"Didn't think so," she sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Eris is the Greek goddess of strife," Nyx said with a bitter smile. "My mother was simply enthralled with Greek mythology, so of course she would name her daughters after goddesses."

"Y' have a sister?"

Nyx nodded. "Her name is Thalia... I'm guessing you don't know who that is either?" she continued after seeing the vague expression on Remy's face. "Thalia is the goddess of good cheer."

"Ouch," Remy said, wincing. "So y' are strife an' your sister is good cheer?"

"Yup," Nyx replied simply. "It's like my mother knew all along."

"Knew what?"

But Nyx merely shook her head and took another long swig from the bottle. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and coughed as she handed the bottle back to Remy. "Enough about my history, it's not interesting enough to waste time on. You know, I really don't see how you can stand that stuff," she said and pointed to the bottle.

"If it's so bad, then why are y' drinkin' it?"

Nyx shrugged. "Liquor is liquor," she said as she took the bottle back from Remy.

* * *

><p>Murdock was surprised at how fast the strange informant had made his way to his penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. He had only spoken with the man on the phone a half-hour ago, and now the man was being buzzed in by Murdock's faithful doorman.<p>

Murdock received the phone call during dinner and he had excused himself from the table despite the pointed looks he had received from his wife and two children. "Business, honey," he had muttered sheepishly as he took the receiver from his butler and made his way into his office.

"Murdock, here," he said as he collapsed into his leather desk chair, propping his heels on his mahogany desk.

"Good evening, Mr. Murdock. My sincerest apologies for interrupting your dining," the strange, deep voice replied to him.

Murdock sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"A friend," replied the voice. "A friend who can help."

"Help with what? Listen, I don't know how you got this number, but-," he was cut off.

"Mr. Murdock, please listen. My name is Nathaniel Essex and I sincerely believe that you and I can be of assistance to one another."

"And how's that?" Murdock asked impatiently as he fiddled with a paperweight atop his desk.

"It is simple, Mr. Murdock. You and I desire the same prize."

"And that would be...?"

"Nyx," Essex answered curtly.

At the mention of her name, Murdock nearly dropped the phone. He had been searching for Nyx for over a month and still he had no leads. After his men had trashed her apartment and found nothing, and the landlady repeatedly told him she had not returned when he repeatedly called and questioned her on Nyx's whereabouts, he had begun to lose hope. But now, it seemed as if fate had dropped a present in his lap, and that present was the stranger who called himself Nathaniel Essex.

Murdock had thrown some bills at his wife and told her to take the kids out, she had not questioned his demand after seeing the firmness in his gaze. Now, Murdock was waiting in his office as his butler showed the man in.

The man was clad in a black trench coat with a black hat atop his head, its bill covering his eyes. Murdock could still see the ghastly white of Essex's cheeks, though, as the stranger seated himself in the leather coach opposite of Murdock's desk.

"Good evening," Essex spoke first. His voice, if at all possible, was even more foreboding in person than it was on the phone.

Murdock leaned over his desk and began speaking. "Let's get down to business, Essex, was it? How do you know where Nyx is?"

"Have you ever heard of the X-Men, Mr. Murdock?" Essex finally inquired after a short lapse of silent.

Murdock pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and shook his head.

"They are a team of mutant peacekeepers, and I have reason to believe that our lovely Nyx has joined their ranks."

"And how do you know this?" asked Murdock.

"Because our dear friend succeeded in taking down a dozen of my best men while helping the X-Men foil, yet again, a plan of mine."

"Well, where are these 'X-Men'? Sooner I find them, sooner I find her."

Essex chuckled darkly. "I'm afraid it is not that simple. The X-Men have on their team a handful of very powerful mutants, Mr. Murdock. Mutants that can withstand anything you may manage to throw at them. You will never get Nyx on your own."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you'll help me out of the goodness of your own heart?" Murdock replied bitingly.

Essex shook his head and looked directly at Murdock for the first time since he had entered his office. Murdock let out an audible gasp as he saw the flat crimson hue of Essex's irises. "I am a scientist above all else, Mr. Murdock. And as a scientist, I do research. To conduct this research, I need specimens. Your darling Nyx has recently piqued my interested, and I would just love to study her."

"And where do I come in?"

"When my research is done, Nyx is yours for the keeping."

Murdock was unsure, but he also was reminded by the nagging in his gut of his want to keep beautiful Nyx as his own. "Alright, I'm on board, but how do we get Nyx if we supposedly don't have the power to overwhelm the X-Men?"

Essex smirked ruefully, "Leave the incidentals to me."

Murdock merely nodded and took a moment to absorb the full appearance of the figure in front on him. Nathaniel Essex had ghostly pallid skin, white, pointed teeth that gave him the sneer of a shark, dull red eyes, and a shock of jet black hair. Truth be told, he was quite terrifying to look at.

* * *

><p>Remy gently shook Nyx's shoulder in his third attempt to wait her, he sighed when all she did was grumble and then roll over, falling fastly back into sleep.<p>

"You win, chere," he murmured as he gathered her in his arms. He reached Nyx's room soon enough, after tackling his doorknob without bothering Nyx. With the toe of his metallic boot, he knocked on the door.

"I was wondering where she ran off to!" Kitty exclaimed as the door swung open. After she saw Nyx cradled, asleep, in Remy's arms, she clamped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she murmured through her fingers.

Remy simply smirked at her before walking into the room. Kitty whispered that Nyx's bed was the one nearest to the window so Remy nodded and went to deposit Nyx on the blankets. When he placed her on the bed, Nyx sighed and grabbed him hand.

"Goodnight, Remy," she slurred. She gave his hand a light squeeze and then rolled back over, nuzzling into her pillow and drifting back to sleep.

"She looks pretty small when she's asleep, don' she, chat?" he asked Kitty quietly after a moment as he turned around to look at her. She was looking at Nyx, a sad smile on her lips.

"She sure does... Remy, if I ask you to do something for me, will you?"

"'Course I will, chat. What is it?"

She sighed and sat on the bed, looking at Remy directly. "I've gotten to know Nyx pretty well since I became her roommate. Probably more than she realizes. The point is, don't screw her over, alright?"

"What? I- I mean-," Remy sputtered.

Kitty smiled again and shook her head. "I know you didn't mean for it to happen, Remy, but Nyx has definitely taken a liking to you. And I don't think she does that often. Just be careful, okay?"

Remy swallowed thickly and nodded. "Will do, chat," he said before he left the room.

* * *

><p><em>"You are strong and they are weak. You have the strength to do what is needed while their eyes are clouded with wistful attempts to be accepted by the insignificant human race. Their humanity makes them weak."<em>

_"Am I not human?" shouted Nyx to the voice that surrounded her on all sides, yet was eerily vacant in the sprawling blackness she found herself in. "Am I a monster?"_

_"No, darling Nyx. You are beautiful." As these words echoed throughout the expanse, a delicate silver mirror appeared in front of Nyx. Black eyes and pallid skin stared back at her. Her charcoal hair swirled around her face. _

_In a flash, the darkness disappeared and she was in the Danger Room, suspended in the air, her tendrils whipping violently around her._

_Body after mangled body laid strewn on the floor. Light blue eyes and chestnut hair grabbed her attention. Kitty's body was face down, but her neck was twisted so her vacant eyes stared up at Nyx. Her mouth dripped blood and it covered her teeth as she spoke._

_"You are capable of extraordinary things. They are holding you back from your destiny," Kitty said, but it was not her voice that said it. The sinister voice from the blackness spoke from the sweet, broken girl._

_Nyx began to shriek. Losing her concentration, she began plummeting to the ground, toward the mass of dead bodies. "No! No! I'm not a monster!" she repeated over and over until she hit the ground with a sharp thud._

Her eyes snapped open in a flash. Taking in her surroundings, she realized she was on the floor of her room in the X-Mansion. The room was dark, and Nyx quickly looked at the clock to make sure that the darkness was natural, and not caused by her. The clock read 4:30 AM. Shaking, Nyx's lifted herself from the floor quietly and crawled back into her bed. Sweat that covered her body began to dry, leaving her with a chill. She curled herself into a ball under her blankets and shut her eyes tightly, willing herself to fall into oblivion.

* * *

><p>"So, what exactly did you do to her?" Murdock asked Nathaniel Essex.<p>

"My mutant abilities allow me to infiltrate the minds of other mutants, and therefore tap into the microscopic synapses in their brains."

"In English this time, please," Murdock replied sarcastically.

"I can enter their minds, anything from their unconscious to their motor skills I can control whilst in their minds. I controlled Nyx's dream, and discovered something. It seems that her powers are much more potent when she lies in an unconscious state."

"And this is interesting because?"

"Oh, my dear Mr. Murdock, this is interesting because now I know how to harness her power. And use it."

* * *

><p><strong>an:<strong> this is a shorter chapter because, for some reason, it was very difficult for me to write. my apologies for that, it took forever for me to update. anyways, reviews are _greatly_ appreciated!


	6. Six

_A sinister kid, is a kid who  
>Runs to meet his maker<br>A drop dead sprint from the day he's born  
>Straight into his maker's arms<em>

_And that's me, that's me  
>The boy with the broken halo<br>That's me, that's me  
>The devil won't let me be<em>

* * *

><p>If there was one thing Nyx missed from her apartment, it was her sheets. They were old, almost threadbare, but were softened with age. The sheets on her bed at the X-Mansion were new and stiff, and despite Nyx's repeated efforts at washing them, she knew deep down that the only way to soften them was with time.<p>

So there she lay, in her stiff sheets, willing herself to rise from the bed. She glimpsed at the clock for the first time after she woke up and wished she hadn't. The clock blinked at 4:30 AM, even though, considering the sunlight from outside, it was at least nine.

Nyx tried to put the flashing red numbers in the back of her mind as she went through her morning routine. Shower, don't think of red flashing numbers. Dress, don't think of flashing numbers. Dry her hair and put on the bare minimum of makeup, still don't think of the numbers. Unfortunately, when someone tries determinedly not to think of something, the thought creeps into the mind nonetheless.

She entered the kitchen after getting ready and headed straight for the coffee machine. She poured the caffeinated liquid into her cup until it was on the brink of overflowing, and took a quick sip before bringing the mug to her nose and savoring the scent of the brew.

"This tastes delicious," she said to no one in particular.

"You like it?" Emma asked as she walked into the room. "It's my special blend."

"Well you need to make it more often, Emma. I'll want this stuff every morning."

Emma smiled at her. "That's wonderful, but seeing as I usually don't wait up until lunch time, don't get used to it."

Nyx sighed and shook her head. "Way to ruin my morning."

"Don't be so dramatic," Emma teased at she drew the ingredients for scrambled eggs out of the refrigerator.

"No famous Cajun breakfast this morning?" Nyx raised an eyebrow as she looked at the ingredients.

"Guess not, I expected something when I came back down here but it doesn't seem that he's woken up."

"Well damn, this morning's all wrong. One-time delicious coffee and no Cajun breakfast, what's a girl to think?"

Emma smirked at Nyx. "I'm sure some of us will miss Remy's cooking more than others," she said and gave Nyx a pointed look.

Nyx could feel the heat rise in her cheeks in spite of herself. "I haven't the slightest clue what you're insinuating, Miss Frost."

"Oh sure," Emma replied. "Not a clue, huh? I'm not a stupid girl, I see things."

"Yeah, well, stop seeing things. There's not a damn thing to see," Nyx added quietly and stared into her mug. She felt a indescribable twinge in her stomach at the mention of Remy. As she rose to leave the kitchen, perhaps a Danger Room exercise to clear her mind, the lights flickered. Nyx stopped instantly, grasping her mug in a death grip even though it was nearly scalding her hands. "What was that?"

Emma turned from the stove to look at the lights above, then at Nyx. "Guess some aftershocks of that blackout."

"What blackout?" Nyx asked stiffly.

"You haven't heard? It's all over the news. New York and the tri-state were without power practically all night. Lights didn't come back on until five this morning."

Nyx's coffee cup fell to the ground and shattered, hot brown liquid staining the floor as she rushed out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Emma called to her.

"Danger Room!"

"And I have to clean this shit up?"

* * *

><p>Remy didn't hear his door fly open that morning, but he did feel slim fingers shaking him.<p>

"Wake up!" he heard Nyx demand.

Remy just groaned and rolled over, bunching the blankets under his chin.

"Dammit, Cajun! It's ten in the morning, seize the day!"

"Haven't y' heard you 'posed to rest wit' a hangover?" he mumbled, as if on queue the empty bourbon bottle fell from his bed and clattered to the floor.

"You mean to tell me," Nyx started as she sat on the bed and continued to prod Remy into consciousness, "that the great Gambit is out of commission by a simple hangover?"

Remy rolled over and looked at Nyx through sleep-ridden eyes. "An' what exactly did y' have in mind, chere?"

She smirked. "Just some sparring."

* * *

><p>They had been in the Danger Room for no more than thirty minutes and already Nyx was dripping with sweat. Instead of a projected danger scenario, there was only a looming room with silver walls, two bodies seemingly dancing around each other.<p>

Remy advanced Nyx again quickly, hardly giving time for her to recover from the somersault she executed to dodge his last jab. He swung his left leg high, aiming at Nyx's cheek, and it nearly made contact, but she jerked her head back at the last second to avoid the blow. Remy recovered quickly, however, and advanced towards Nyx, his goal being to pin her against the wall he had strategically backed her into.

"I'm confused," he said as he sent a right jab her way, which she again parried at the last minute. "I didn't t'ink y' were a close combat type o' girl."

"Well," Nyx began roughly, being out of breathe, "I figured," she began and then paused as she parried another blow, "I figured I might as well start practicing."

After this comment Nyx changed tactics and went on the offensive, spinning in a high kick that caught Remy's shoulder and sent him reeling back. She smirked as she rolled out of the kick, crouching and spinning her leg toward the back of Remy's knees to knock him off his feet. He jumped, though, so Nyx quickly got to her feet and sent a blow towards his left cheek.

He caught her wrist so she whirled her body around to loosen his grip. She jerked her wrist back and ducked again to dodge another high kick. Remy was quicker, however, for he spun around and crouched, grabbing Nyx's ankles and pulling her feet out from under her. She hit the ground with sharp thud and he wasted no time in covering her body with his, immobilizing her.

He smirked at her as he pinned her wrists above her head. "Give?"

She frowned back and him and tried squirming, but his body was successfully keeping her from budging. "Alright, alright, I give!"

Remy only smirked again and rolled off of her. Seated on the ground, he turned to look at Nyx as she lifted herself up and sat Indian-style beside him. "But really, why the sudden change in tactics?"

Nyx gave him a serious look. "Maybe using my powers is the coward's way of fighting," she paused then and broke his gaze, preferring to looking down, inspecting her nails. "Maybe they're too dangerous to use," she added as a quiet afterthought.

"Nyx," Remy said, using a firm tone that called her attention back to his face. "Y' havin' trouble wit' your powers?"

Nyx's eyes widened. "No, of course not! And even if I was, it's my business."

Remy shot her an incredulous look. "You're wit' the X-Men now, chere. Xavier can help y'."

"Well maybe I don't want his help," Nyx challenged.

"Chere..."

"No, Remy. I can take care of myself and that's what I intend to do." With that she rose to her feet and marched out of the Danger Room.

* * *

><p><em>How dare he? <em>Nyx thought to herself as she stalked out of the Danger Room. Nyx was always the one to watch out for herself, hell, there hadn't been anyone else to do that job since she was twelve. And then there was Remy. Remy, who insinuated that she couldn't handle whatever was wrong now on her own. Remy, who acted as if it was just that simple to bend over backwards, to admit defeat and go crawling to others with your own problems. That's what he was saying, wasn't it? That Nyx couldn't handle herself and that she needed the help of others. The thought alone insulted her. Asking for help showed vulnerability, being vulnerable showed weakness. Didn't Remy know that? He was a thief, after all. Just like her. The only person a thief could rely on was himself (or _her_self.) If a job went haywire, there was no one that was going to be there to fall back on. Thieving made you self-reliant, thieving made you strong. Nyx thought Remy understood that.

But now, here she was, storming out of the room at his asinine suggestion. She sighed as grabbed towels from her room and headed to the shower. Her muscles ached from sparring with Remy and the warm water coating her body helped to relieve tension. The steam poured over the door of the shower and started filling the room, creating a dull drowsiness in Nyx. Courteous of the yesterday's night terrors, she had minimal sleep and the warmth of the shower exhausted her. Her eyelids grew heavy and she yawned. She washed the shampoo and got out of the shower, quickly toweling off.

_Maybe just a little nap, _she thought to herself as she lazily slipped a pair of sweats and a t-shirt on. _Maybe the nightmares were just a one time thing. _She crawled into bed and curled up in the covers, peacefully falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Remy sighed and ran his hand across his forehead to remove a thin layer of sweat, leaving a line of black grease streaked across his face.<p>

"Can y' toss me the sprocket wrench?" he called to Logan as he leaned back from his motorcycle and took a swig from his soda.

The lights flickered briefly causing Remy to look up. The wrench Logan had just tossed to him hit his chest and clattered to the floor, but he ignored it.

"What was that?" he asked Logan, eyes still set on the lights above.

"The lights? Probably aftershocks from the power outage last night," Logan replied gruffly, not taking his eyes off the tire he was changing.

"Or somet'ing else," Remy said as he retrieved the wrench.

Logan turned to look at Remy. "You know somethin' I don't, Gumbo?"

"I t'ink Nyx maybe be havin' some trouble wit' her powers," Remy said and shook his head. "She tryin' to avoid it, though."

"You sayin' she may have caused that outage? There's no way, it cover nearly a hundred miles."

"Who knows?" Remy replied. "I'm gonna go check on her," he said and stood up from his bike.

"Alright, but I think you're over reactin'," Logan called over his shoulder as Remy left the garage.

He entered the elevator and rode it from the garage in the basement up to the third floor. The steel doors slid open just as the power to the house flared and then gave out. Remy blinked and his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as he quickened his step, heading in the direction of Nyx's room.

A sharp scream pierced the air as he rounded the corner and he immediately broke into a run.

"Professor!" he heard Kitty screech from down the hall. "Storm! Somebody help!" she continued to yell from the open door of her room.

"What's wrong?" Remy demanded as he reached her.

Kitty jumped at the sound of his voice but turned and grasped his arms nonetheless. "It's Nyx. I can't wait her up, I can't reach her. I don't know what's wrong," she blurted anxiously.

"Calm down, chat. Show Remy what's wrong," he said soothingly as she removed her hands from their tight grip on his arms.

Kitty took her trembling hand in his and led him in the room, pointing at Nyx's bed but not going close to it. Remy's eyes landed on the bed and the girl lying on it, and his breathe caught in his throat.

Nyx was still asleep, but a thick vibrating screen of black radiated from her body. Tendrils shaped like scythes, and just as sharp, flicked wantonly around her body. When one cut against the bed, the blankets split and the stuffing of the mattress slipped out from the gash in it. The tendrils continued to slice the air, ripping and gashing any substance they met, from cuts in the wall to the lap that cleaved in half and clattered to the floor, the bulb breaking and glass covering the carpet.

"Go get the Professor, chat!" Remy told her. "I'll stay here and try to wake her up."

"You can't even get close to her, Remy!" Kitty cried.

"Just go!" he said. When she left the room he turned back to Nyx, trying to spy an opening to the blackness to no avail.

"Nyx!" he called to her instead. "I know y' in there chere, just wake up," he half-yelled.

"What's going on, Gambit?" Remy heard Xavier's steady voice as he hovered into the room.

"I t'ink Nyx has lost control of her powers, Professor. But she's still sleepin'."

The Professor nodded, closing his eyes as he put his forefingers to his temple. He focused and entered Nyx's mind. His eyes adjusted as he walked through the terrain of Nyx's psyche, surprised to be met with a stark blackness that echoed her powers.

"Nyx? It's me, Professor Xavier, are you there?"

"Professor?" he heard Nyx's voice echo through the expanse. Her voice was constricted with fear. "Professor, I can't wake up. Don't let me hurt anyone!" she called desperately to him.

"Nyx, just stay calm. Follow my voice and come talk to me."

"I can't, Professor! I don't know where I am!" she yelled. "He won't let me do anything!"

"He? Nyx, tell me who 'he' is."

"The voice," she called back.

"Who is the voice?"

"I don't know!" she said, the mounting distress detectable in her voice. "Oh God, Professor please, keep everyone away from me," she moaned.

"Nyx, listen to me. We are going to wake you up together. I need you to concentrate for me, concentrate on opening your eyes."

"Don't you think I've tried?" Nyx seethed. With her frustration the floor of her mind began to wrinkle; the pure black floors looked like a lagoon of rippling marble. Xavier levitated off the floor slightly and scanned the room again, searching for Nyx in her own inky mindscape.

"I knew we'd cross paths here eventually, Charles," a voice boomed. It was Nyx's voice, yet it wasn't. Her usual bouncy voice that would rise and fall with impressed consonants was garbled by a thundering undertone that reverberated through her mind. "It was only a matter of time."

"Who is this?" Professor demanded with a sharp tone.

"Not this time," the voice replied, disregarding this question. "This time you will be powerless to stop me," the voice mused then broke into a sickening laugh. The resounding cackle soon faded into screams sharp as daggers. They assaulted Xavier's ears and caused him to cover them in defense. He squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them, he found himself back in the mansion, the light from the hallway illuminated the room in a soft glow, yet the screams still pierced the air.

He looked up to see that the blackness had dissipated from around Nyx, but her eyes were still screwed shut and shrieks slipped from her agape mouth. He looked at Remy, who gave him a fleeting distressed look before he was by Nyx's side, calling her name and shaking her in an attempt to rouse her.

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><p><strong>an: <strong>the song i posted above is sinister kid by the black keys, it inspired me to finish this chapter today. review perhaps?


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